Data-work for personalized care: Examining nurses’ practices in remote monitoring of chronic patients

Abstract

Healthcare professionals are increasingly working with data in their care delivery practices. However, there is limited understanding of how data work is enabling novel practices. This study focuses on novel nursing practices emerging in the context of remote monitoring of chronic patients. Specifically, we analyze how personalization of care is achieved in practice through data work. The study is based on a case of a pilot center in Norway where nurses provide remote care to patients by using a specialized system. We examine the practices of the nurses and how data in the form of graphs, alerts, questionnaires and messages are used to personalize care. We identify three main practices of data work for personalization: preparatory work, continuous adjustment and question fine-tuning. Finally, we discuss the pivotal role of nurses’ data work for personalized care in remote care.